Flight Disruptions: NCAA vows tougher sanctions, public listing of airlines

By Omodele Adigun

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced plans to publicly list airlines that fail to comply with aviation regulations, particularly on flight cancellations and prolonged delays.

In a statement posted on his X handle on Monday, the NCAA’s spokesman, Michael Achimugu, stressed that airlines are obligated to provide hotel accommodation for passengers stranded between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. due to disruptions.

The move marks a tougher regulatory stance by the NCAA, following widespread complaints over poor service delivery, recurring disruptions, and an increase in violent incidents at airports linked to airlines’ failure to uphold passenger rights.

The authority expressed concern about a growing trend where airline staff abandon their duty posts during operational disruptions, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to manage frustrated passengers alone.

“The situation where airline staff intentionally disappear, leaving NCAA Consumer Protection Officers to handle justifiably irate and frustrated passengers will no longer be tolerated,” Achimugu warned.

While acknowledging the operational challenges in Nigeria’s aviation sector, the NCAA insisted that such difficulties cannot justify non-compliance.

“Whoever willfully ventures into a business and wants to remain in it must do it well. Don’t you want to be called ‘world class’? Don’t you want to compete at the highest level? If not for the sake of the passengers who trust you to safely fly them, what about for your own pride?” he added.

The NCAA also criticised the exposure of its officials to unnecessary risks, noting that its staff are deployed to assist both passengers and operators, not to replace absent airline personnel.

“You cannot expose NCAA officials to avoidable risk when all they do is support your business and protect your rights,” Achimugu stated.

The regulator pledged to strictly enforce its rules and impose sanctions where necessary, reiterating that it would not hesitate to apply “the fullest measures possible” for sanctionable infractions.

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